PlaceEngine: 実世界集合知に基づくWiFi位置情報基盤

PlaceEngine is a WiFi-based location platform. While GPS only works in outdoor environments, PlaceEngine estimates locations both indoors and outdoors. Required time for position sensing is very short (typically less than 1 second), because there is no “cold start time” which is necessary for GPS. We also constructed an access point database that covers major cities in Japan. This database stores more than half a million access points and their estimated locations. Access point locations are estimated by combining various methods, including: war driving, war walking, as well as analyzing end user’s location queries. PlaceEngine also supports API (application programmers interface) to make programming location aware applications easy.